diff --git a/lib/hexo/load_config.js b/lib/hexo/load_config.js
index 6d0d974a43..86778a4dc2 100644
--- a/lib/hexo/load_config.js
+++ b/lib/hexo/load_config.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ const Source = require('./source');
 const { exists, readdir } = require('hexo-fs');
 const { magenta } = require('chalk');
 const { deepMerge } = require('hexo-util');
+const validateConfig = require('./validate_config');
 
 module.exports = async ctx => {
   if (!ctx.env.init) return;
@@ -26,6 +27,8 @@ module.exports = async ctx => {
   ctx.config = deepMerge(ctx.config, config);
   config = ctx.config;
 
+  validateConfig(ctx);
+
   ctx.config_path = configPath;
 
   config.root = config.root.replace(/\/*$/, '/');
diff --git a/lib/hexo/validate_config.js b/lib/hexo/validate_config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..67cac859f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/hexo/validate_config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+'use strict';
+
+module.exports = ctx => {
+  const { config, log } = ctx;
+
+  log.info('Validating config');
+
+  // Validation for config.url && config.root
+  if (typeof config.url !== 'string') {
+    throw new TypeError(`Invalid config detected: "url" should be string, not ${typeof config.url}!`);
+  }
+  if (config.url.trim().length <= 0) {
+    throw new TypeError('Invalid config detected: "url" should not be empty!');
+  }
+
+  if (typeof config.root !== 'string') {
+    throw new TypeError(`Invalid config detected: "root" should be string, not ${typeof config.root}!`);
+  }
+  if (config.root.trim().length <= 0) {
+    throw new TypeError('Invalid config detected: "root" should not be empty!');
+  }
+
+  // Soft deprecate use_date_for_updated
+  if (typeof config.use_date_for_updated === 'boolean') {
+    log.warn('Deprecated config detected: "use_date_for_updated" is deprecated, please use "updated_option" instead. See https://hexo.io/docs/configuration for more details.');
+  }
+
+  // Soft deprecate external_link Boolean
+  if (typeof config.external_link === 'boolean') {
+    log.warn('Deprecated config detected: "external_link" with a Boolean value is deprecated. See https://hexo.io/docs/configuration for more details.');
+  }
+};
+
diff --git a/test/scripts/hexo/index.js b/test/scripts/hexo/index.js
index e654455d9b..94c443d65a 100644
--- a/test/scripts/hexo/index.js
+++ b/test/scripts/hexo/index.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 describe('Core', () => {
   require('./hexo');
   require('./load_config');
+  require('./validate_config');
   require('./load_database');
   require('./load_plugins');
   require('./load_theme_config');
diff --git a/test/scripts/hexo/validate_config.js b/test/scripts/hexo/validate_config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c3813ead63
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/scripts/hexo/validate_config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const { spy } = require('sinon');
+
+describe('Validate config', () => {
+  const Hexo = require('../../../lib/hexo');
+  const hexo = new Hexo();
+  const validateConfig = require('../../../lib/hexo/validate_config');
+  const defaultConfig = require('../../../lib/hexo/default_config');
+  let logSpy;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    logSpy = spy();
+    hexo.config = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(defaultConfig));
+    hexo.log.warn = logSpy;
+    hexo.log.info = spy();
+  });
+
+  it('config.url - undefined', () => {
+    delete hexo.config.url;
+
+    try {
+      validateConfig(hexo);
+      should.fail();
+    } catch (e) {
+      e.name.should.eql('TypeError');
+      e.message.should.eql('Invalid config detected: "url" should be string, not undefined!');
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('config.url - wrong type', () => {
+    hexo.config.url = true;
+
+    try {
+      validateConfig(hexo);
+      should.fail();
+    } catch (e) {
+      e.name.should.eql('TypeError');
+      e.message.should.eql('Invalid config detected: "url" should be string, not boolean!');
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('config.url - empty', () => {
+    hexo.config.url = ' ';
+
+    try {
+      validateConfig(hexo);
+      should.fail();
+    } catch (e) {
+      e.name.should.eql('TypeError');
+      e.message.should.eql('Invalid config detected: "url" should not be empty!');
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('config.root - undefined', () => {
+    delete hexo.config.root;
+
+    try {
+      validateConfig(hexo);
+      should.fail();
+    } catch (e) {
+      e.name.should.eql('TypeError');
+      e.message.should.eql('Invalid config detected: "root" should be string, not undefined!');
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('config.root - wrong type', () => {
+    hexo.config.root = true;
+
+    try {
+      validateConfig(hexo);
+      should.fail();
+    } catch (e) {
+      e.name.should.eql('TypeError');
+      e.message.should.eql('Invalid config detected: "root" should be string, not boolean!');
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('config.root - empty', () => {
+    hexo.config.root = ' ';
+
+    try {
+      validateConfig(hexo);
+      should.fail();
+    } catch (e) {
+      e.name.should.eql('TypeError');
+      e.message.should.eql('Invalid config detected: "root" should not be empty!');
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('config.use_date_for_updated - depreacte', () => {
+    hexo.config.use_date_for_updated = true;
+
+    validateConfig(hexo);
+
+    logSpy.calledOnce.should.be.true;
+    logSpy.calledWith('Deprecated config detected: "use_date_for_updated" is deprecated, please use "updated_option" instead. See https://hexo.io/docs/configuration for more details.').should.be.true;
+  });
+
+  it('config.external_link - depreacte Boolean value', () => {
+    hexo.config.external_link = false;
+
+    validateConfig(hexo);
+
+    logSpy.calledOnce.should.be.true;
+    logSpy.calledWith('Deprecated config detected: "external_link" with a Boolean value is deprecated. See https://hexo.io/docs/configuration for more details.').should.be.true;
+  });
+});